妙法蓮華經玄義 6.231

6.231

第一文直云：「從久遠劫來」，久遠之言，信實杳漫，而未顯本地，或據中間。第二直云：「昔曾二萬億佛所」，未判劫數，久近難明，將後文準望，似如近近。今論遠益，取第三文，「以三千界墨，東過千界，乃下一點，點與不點，盡抹為塵，一塵一劫，復過是數無量無邊百千萬億阿僧祇劫。」用此明文，望二萬億佛所，始為昨日。從是已來，為結大乘之首，彼佛八千劫說經，十六王子八萬四千劫覆講。彼之經論文廣時深，于時聽眾，或可當座已悟，或可中間化得，或可近來化得，咸至寶所，受法性身，為應生眷屬。內祕外現，共熟眾生，而作佛事。《淨名》曰：「雖成道轉法輪，而行菩薩道。」是此意也。于時聽眾未得真實益，若相似益，隔生不忘；名字觀行益，隔生則忘、或有不忘。忘者，若值善知識，宿善還生；若值惡友，則失本心，是故中間種種塗熨。或多以大乘熟，或多以小乘熟。生方便者，雖說種種道，其實為一乘，亦復皆令得至寶所，受法性身。而於彼國，被第九番、十番真實利益。如千世界微塵菩薩，即其流也。斯等已究竟於前，名久遠利益。其中眾生，于今有住聲聞地者，更近論利益，如後說（云云）。

The first text simply says: "Since long kalpas ago." The words "long kalpas ago" are indeed vague and boundless, without revealing the original ground, or they might rely on an intermediate period. The second simply says: "In the past, at the place of twenty thousand kotis of buddhas," not determining the number of kalpas; its distance or proximity is difficult to clarify, and measured against the later text, it appears relatively recent. Now, in discussing the ancient benefits, we take the third text: "Suppose someone takes ink of the three-thousand-fold world... passes a thousand realms to the east and drops a dot; whether dotted or not, all are ground to dust, each dust speck being a kalpa, and further surpassing this number by immeasurable, boundless hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of kotis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas." Using this explicit text, when looking toward the place of twenty thousand kotis of buddhas, that is merely yesterday. From that time onwards, the beginning of the Mahāyāna was bound; that buddha spoke the sūtra for eight thousand kalpas, and the sixteen princes expounded it in repetition for eighty-four thousand kalpas. The sūtra text of that time was extensive and its duration deep. Among the audience at that time, some were awakened right at their seats, some were converted in intermediate periods, and some have been converted recently; all reached the place of jewels, received the dharma-nature body, and became retinue of responsive births. Concurrently hidden within and manifested without, they matured sentient beings together and carried out buddha-activities. The Vimalakīrti says: "Although having achieved the path and turned the wheel of the Dharma, they still practice the bodhisattva path." This is that meaning. As for the audience at that time who had not yet attained the real benefit: if they attained the benefit of resemblance, it is not forgotten across rebirths; with the benefits of names/words or contemplation practice, it is forgotten across rebirths, or some do not forget. For those who forget, if they encounter a good friend, their past good roots will arise again; if they encounter an evil friend, they lose their original mind. Therefore, in the intermediate periods there was various soothing and guiding. Some were matured mostly through the Mahāyāna, and some were matured mostly through the Hīnayāna. As for those born into the Land of Expediency: although various paths were spoken, in truth it is for the eka-yāna; all are also caused to reach the place of jewels and receive the dharma-nature body. And in that land, they receive the real benefits of the ninth and tenth turns. The bodhisattvas [as numerous as] the dust specks of a thousand worlds belong to this stream. These individuals have already culminated previously; this is called ancient benefits. Among those sentient beings, for those who today dwell in the stage of śrāvakas, the benefits are discussed as being more recent, as will be explained later, and so on.